Steel retainer



De.2,1924. i 1,517,479

A R. H. WILHELM STEEL RETAINER Filed Feb. 18 3.924

Mllllmn H lllllH l las ATT'oEY l Patented Dec. 2, i924.

RUSSELL I-I. WILHELM, OF EASTON, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO INGERSOLL-RAND COMPANY, OF J CITY, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION -OF NEW JERSEY.

STEEL RETAINER.

Y Application led. February 18, 1924. Serial No. 693,641.

To all whom t may cmucem:

'Be it known that I, RUSSELL H. WILHELM,

a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Easton, county of Northampton, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a cer` tain'Steel Retainer, of which the following is a specication, accompanied by drawings.

This 'invention relates to drill steel retainers for rock drills, but more particularly to that type of retainer in which a yoke embraces the drill steel and is suitably yheld or clamped in of the machine.

This invention is in a certain respect an improvement upon the steel retainer describedand claimed in my. co-pending application, Serial No. 683,142; filed, December 28, 1923.' Retainers for the collared working implement of rfluid actuated machines must be sturdy and rugged to withstand the'vibration set up inthe operation of the machine and the rough usage to which they are subjected, whether the working implementbe a drill steel, a coal pick, a tie tamper steel, a pavement breaker steel or any other similar implement. yIn the event of breakage, these implement retainers must be so constructed that broken parts may be readily and conveniently replaced in order that the time and labor required for repairs are reduced to a minimum. It is also desirable to hold the retainer in operative posi- Cil ' f is desired to remove the which'is simple in its construction, is composed of but few parts, is comparatively inexpensive to manufacture and is sturdy and rugged to withstand the hardest kind of usage.

Another object of the invention is to improve incertain respects upon the retainer as shown in my copending applicationabove referred to.`

Further obj ects of the invention will herei inafter appear and the invention is shown position upon the front head' in one of its preferred forms in the accompanying drawings in which c Figure l is a top plan view of the front end portion of a rock drill ofthe hammerk type with a retainer for the working implement connected thereto,

Figure 2 is a similar view with the machine turned at right angles to Figure l, and

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 but with one of the parts shown in vertical sec-Y tion and showing the retainer swung to an inoperative position. a

Referring to the drawings the front end portion 'of a'hand held rock drill ofthe hammer type is shown for illustrative purposes having a cylinder A which is separated-from the front head B lby the front cylinder bushing C, and these parts are connected together by the usual spring pressed side bolts D. In this instance a working implement in the form 4of a drill steel E havinga collar F is adapted to extend into the'front head B for receiving the impact blowsof the uid actuated hammer piston of the machine. l. y

A pair of trunnions G is preferably formed on the front head B- on opposite sides thereof and is in this instance located in a plane odset from the central plane of the machine. Each trunnion is preferably formed with a flattened portion H, which faces toward the outer end of the machine. A pair of side arms J is in this instance pivotally connected to the trunnions G and eachA trunnion is preferably formed with an opening K. A -lug Lon each side of the front head B servesas a stop for limiting the swinging movement `of the side arms J beyond the operative position of theretainer.

In order to limit the outward movement of the collar F on the steel E relative to the .front head B, a yoke-O' is adapted to embra-ce the steel in such a manner that under normal working'coiiditions the steel is permitted to move freely within the yoke but cannot be entirely withdrawn from the front head B, because of the collar F. The yoke O is preferablyjformed with a raised portion P against which the collar F is adapted to abut and a pair of arms Q. is connected to the yoke 0 on opposite sides thereof and exsoy tends substantially at right angles therefrom. The yoke arms Q are in this instance adapted to extend into the openings K of the side arms J, and a bearing cap R is preferably screwed onto the end of each of the arms Q and is provided with a closed end portion R which is adapted to bear against the flattened portions H of the trunnions G.

In order to cushion the outward movement of the yoke O, a coil spring S in this instance surrounds each of the yoke arms Q in eachof the openings K. One end of each of the coil springs Sis adapted to bear against one end of the opening K and the other end preferably bears against the cap R. The bearing caps R are in this instance formed with holes U to enable a suitable tool to be inserted thereinl for screwing or unscrewing the `caps and thereby enable the tension of the springs S to be adjusted.

In the position of the retainer shown in Figures l and 2, the yoke-O is held in operative retaining position about the drill steel E to prevent the withdrawal of the steel E. The closed end portions R of the bearing caps R are held against the fiattened portion-s H of the trunnions G by means of the springs 'Sl and in this manner the yoke O is securely held in retaining position, so that the ordinary jars and shocks set up in the operation of the machine will not move the yoke froml this position. lVhenever the end portion R of the bearing caps R have been worn sufficiently these caps may be readily replaced so that a comparatively inexpensive part may be substituted so that the life of the.r retainer may be considerably prolonged. f

As shown in Figure `3, the yoke O may be swung away from the steel E to enable the steel to be withdrawn from the front head B and in this position the springs S will force the end portions R of the bearing caps R against the trunnions G and thereby hold the retainer in inoperative position relative to the steel.

I claim:

1. A retainer for fluid actuated percussive machines comprising the combination with the front end portion of a machine of a collared working implement adapted to extend into said front end portion, trunnions on opposite sides of said front end portion having a flattened portion, said trunnions being in a plane offset from the central plane of the machine, side arms pivotally connected tosaid trunnions, a yoke adapted to embrace said implement, arms connected to said yoke at opposite sides thereof and extending at substantially right angles' therefrom, ya bearing member connected to one end of each of said arms, and spring meansfor cushioning the outward movement of said yoke and adapted to force one end of said bearing member against the flattened portions of said trunnions to hold said yoke in operative retaining position.

2. A retainer for fluid actuated percussive machines comprising the combination with the front end portion of a machine of a co-llared working implement adapted to extend into said front end portion, trunnions on opposite sides of said front end portion having a flattened portion, saidl trunnions being in a plane offset from the central plane of the machine, side arms pivotally connected to said trunnions, a yoke adapted to embrace said implement, arms lconnected to said yoke at opposite sides thereof and extending at substantially right angles therefrom into said side arms, a bearing member connected to one end of each of said arms, and spring means for cushioning the outward movement of said yoke and adapted to force said bearing members against the flattened portions of said trunnions to hold said yoke in retaining position, said bearing members being adapted to adjust the tension of said spring means.

3. A retainer for fluid actuated percussive machines comprising the combination with the front end portion of a. machine of a collared working implement adapted toI extend into said front end portion, trunnions on opposite sides of said front end portion having a flattened portion, said trunnions being in a plane offset from. the central plane of the machine, side arms pivotally connected tosaid trunnions, a yoke adapted to embrace said implement, arms connected to said yoke at opposite ends thereof and extending at substantially right angles therefrom into said side arms, a renewable cap having a closed end portion connected to one end of each of said yoke arms, and a coil spring on each of said yoke arms for cushioning the outward movement of said yoke and adapted to force the closed end portions of said caps against the flattened portions of said trunnions to hold said yoke in retaining position, said cap being adapted to be adjusted to adjust the tension of said springs.

4. A. retainer for fluid actuated percussive machines comprising the combination with the front end portion of a machine of a collared working implement adapted to extend intoi said front end portion, trunnions on opposite sides of said front end portion having a flattened portion, said trunnions being in a. plane offset from the central plane of the machine, side arms pivotally connected to said trunnions and formed with an opening, a yoke adapted to embrace said implement for limiting the outward movement of the collar on said implement, arms connected to said yoke at opposite sides thereof and extending at substantially right angles therefrom into said openings in the side arms, a renewable bearing cap having a closed end portion screwed onto each of said yoke arms, and a spring on each of said yoke arms adapted to cushion the outward movement of said yoke and to force the closed end portion of said bearing cap against the attened portion on said trunnions to hold said yoke in operative 10 retaining position, said yoke being adapted to be swung away from said implement and held in inoperative position.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification.

RUSSELL H. WILHELM. 

